F. Huisman

Future remnant liver function as predictive factor for the hypertrophy response after portal vein embolization

Background. Preoperative portal vein embolization is widely used to increase the future remnant liver. Identification of nonresponders to portal vein embolization is essential because these patients may benefit from associating liver partition and portal vein ligation for staged hepatectomy (ALPPS), which induces a more powerful hypertrophy response. 99mTc‐mebrofenin hepatobiliary scintigraphy is a quantitative method for assessment of future remnant liver function with a calculated cutoff value for the prediction of postoperative liver failure. The aim of this study was to analyze future remnant liver function before portal vein embolization to predict sufficient functional hypertrophy response after portal vein embolization. Methods. Sixty‐three patients who underwent preoperative portal vein embolization and computed tomography imaging were included. Hepatobiliary scintigraphy was performed to determine pre–portal vein embolization and post–portal vein embolization future remnant liver function. Receiver operator characteristic analysis of pre–portal vein embolization future remnant liver function was performed to identify patients who would meet the post–portal vein embolization cutoff value for sufficient function (ie, 2.7%/min/m2). Results. Mean pre–portal vein embolization future remnant liver function was 1.80% ± 0.45%/min/m2 and increased to 2.89% ± 0.97%/min/m2 post–portal vein embolization. Receiver operator characteristic analysis in 33 patients who did not receive chemotherapy revealed that a pre–portal vein embolization future remnant liver function of ≥1.72%/min/m2 was able to identify patients who would meet the safe future remnant liver function cutoff value 3 weeks after portal vein embolization (area under the curve = 0.820). The predictive value was less pronounced in 30 patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (area under the curve = 0.618). A total of 45 of 63 patients underwent liver resection, of whom 5 of 45 developed postoperative liver failure; 4 of 5 patients had a post–portal vein embolization future remnant liver function below the cutoff value for safe resection. Conclusion. When selecting patients for portal vein embolization, future remnant liver function assessed with hepatobiliary scintigraphy can be used as a predictor of insufficient functional hypertrophy after portal vein embolization, especially in nonchemotherapy patients. These patients are potential candidates for ALPPS.

Effect of obeticholic acid on liver regeneration following portal vein embolization in an experimental model

The bile salt‐activated transcription factor farnesoid X receptor (FXR) is a key mediator of proliferative bile salt signalling, which is assumed to play a role in the early phase of compensatory liver growth. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a potent FXR agonist (obeticholic acid, OCA) on liver growth following portal vein embolization (PVE).

Use of an absorbable embolization material for reversible portal vein embolization in an experimental model

Portal vein embolization (PVE) is used to increase future remnant liver size in patients requiring major hepatic resection. PVE using permanent embolization, however, predisposes to complications and excludes the use of PVE in living donor liver transplantation. In the present study, an absorbable embolization material containing fibrin glue and different concentrations of the fibrinolysis inhibitor aprotinin was used in an experimental animal model.